Watch The GRAMMY Pre-Telecast Ceremony Live On Feb. 10

Hosted by David Alan Grier, ceremony to present approximately 70 awards and feature performances from Eighth Blackbird, John Fullbright, Tyrese, and Elle Varner, among others

GRAMMYs

Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

GRAMMY.com

The 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards Pre-Telecast Ceremony will take place live for the first time at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Sunday, Feb. 10 from 1–3:30 p.m. PT, and will be streamed live internationally at GRAMMY.com and CBS.com.

Attended by nominees and industry VIPs, the star-studded ceremony will be hosted by actor/singer/comedian David Alan Grier, and will feature performances by current nominees Krishna Das, Eighth Blackbird, John Fullbright, Hugh Masekela, Tyrese, and Elle Varner.

Presenting the first GRAMMY Awards of the day in approximately 70 categories will be current nominees Radmilla Cody, Janis Ian, Kaskade, Britt Nicole, and Manuel Valera, as well as five-time GRAMMY-winning producer and Recording Academy Chair Emeritus Jimmy Jam.

Host Grier is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album for The Gershwins' Porgy And Bess.

Performers Krishna Das, Eighth Blackbird, Fullbright, Masekela, Tyrese, and Varner each have one nomination: Das for Best New Age Album for Live Ananda; Eighth Blackbird for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for "Meanwhile"; Fullbright for Best Americana Album for From The Ground Up; Masekela for Best World Music Album for Jabulani; Tyrese for Best R&B Album for Open Invitation; and Varner for Best R&B Song for "Refill."

Presenters Cody, Ian, Kaskade, Nicole, and Valera each have one nomination: Cody for Best Regional Roots Music Album for Shi Kéyah — Songs For The People; Ian for Best Spoken Word Album for Society's Child: My Autobiography; Kaskade for Best Dance/Electronica Album for Fire & Ice; Nicole for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Gold; and Valera for Best Latin Jazz Album for Manuel Valera New Cuban Express' New Cuban Express.

The live stream of the Pre-Telecast will remain on GRAMMY.com as video on demand for 30 days following the event. Following the ceremony, the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. ET/PT. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Facebook and Twitter.

The Prelude To Music's Biggest Night

Every year the GRAMMY Awards show presents memorable and unique performances to a worldwide audience and announces a select group of major awards for the greatest musical achievements of the year. In fact, there are only 10 trophies handed out during the show itself out of 81 total awards.

GRAMMYs for the other 70-plus categories are presented at the GRAMMY Pre-Telecast Ceremony, which has come to be known as the prelude to Music's Biggest Night. The two-hour-plus event has grown in size and recognition over the past few years, and once again will be streamed live at www.grammy.com as part of the comprehensive three-day GRAMMY Live coverage. The Pre-Telecast will also be available on-demand for 30 days following the event.

As the stars take to the red carpet for the big show at Staples Center, many nominees will have already learned their fate or fortune at the Pre-Telecast, which is being held for the first time this year at the adjacent Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live, after many years at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The change in venue has inspired an extensive reimagination of the show itself. For many years, the "Pre-Tel" was held on the same stage as the GRAMMY show itself, whether it was at the Shrine Auditorium or Radio City Music Hall in New York or more recently at Staples Center.

"The GRAMMY producers were always breathing down our necks, telling us to wrap it up," recalls Recording Academy Vice President of Awards Bill Freimuth. "There were always things to fix or last-minute rehearsals and people were just tripping all over each other."

As the Pre-Telecast became a separate event to itself, moved to the convention center and grew in stature, so did the scale of the production.

"Now that we're moving to Nokia Theatre," says Freimuth, "it will be a lot more comfortable for the attendees, with nice seats instead of folding chairs. There will be a brand-new set; the whole look will be [enhanced], and the acoustics of the Nokia are considerably better because it is a real music venue."

Larry Batiste, veteran bandleader and musical director for the Pre-Telecast for nearly a decade, is also pleased about the change of venue.

"What the Nokia brings is even more of an awards-show feel," he says, "because those [are] GRAMMYs, real GRAMMYs! I'm really excited about moving over there. It's a better experience for the audience as well as for the nominees; it really puts them in an awards-show environment.

"When I started here, there were maybe two or three performances at the Pre-Tel," Batiste remembers. "Now there are five, and I wish we could have more, but we have so many awards to give out."

An eclectic group of artists will perform at the Pre-Telecast Ceremony, including South African trumpet legend Hugh Masekela, Americana singer/songwriter John Fullbright, Indian multi-instrumentalist Krishna Das, avant-garde classical group Eighth Blackbird, and R&B artists Tyrese and Elle Varner. Batiste has a 10-piece band of top-drawer players to support this broad canvas of styles.

"We've got a big band, so I can cover whatever comes up," he says. "With Hugh Masekela, I can do the horns; we want to play something in the genre of whatever category we're in, so I try to tailor it to that."

"We try very hard to choose presenters who are also nominees," Freimuth explains. "The only exception we make is for our Chair Emeritus, Jimmy Jam."

Many stars who are also nominated for awards given out on the big show still try to make it to the Pre-Telecast to hear their nominations in person. In recent years, GRAMMY winners such as Tony Bennett, Foo Fighters, Taylor Swift, Melanie Fiona, Carrie Underwood, and Skrillex have attended, and now the physical convenience of the Nokia Theatre, just across the street from the red carpet, allows for nominees to more easily stop in. But the Pre-Telecast makes for a particularly attractive opportunity for talented artists who don't always have access to a worldwide audience.

"One thing that we try very hard to do with the Pre-Tel as a whole is highlight genres that are not necessarily highlighted on the telecast," says Freimuth. "The telecast really focuses on pop, rock and rap, R&B and country, so we often try to get classical and American roots, jazz and that sort of thing."

"It's a great experience," says Batiste. "I really feel very rewarded afterwards, working with all the artists. It's a real joy."

(John Sutton-Smith is a music journalist and TV producer who helped establish the GRAMMY Foundation's GRAMMY Living Histories oral history program, currently comprising almost 200 interviews.)

GRAMMY Pre-Telecast Celebrates Diversity And Excellence

Music's Biggest Night began early in the afternoon with music's most diverse show — an extraordinary celebration of the many music styles and varied creative achievements of the music community.

Held at the beautiful Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, and hosted by comedian David Alan Grier, the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards Pre-Telecast Ceremony named winners in 70 categories, ranging from Gospel, Jazz and Rap to Engineering and Packaging Fields.

The list of this year's winners included familiar names – Bonnie Raitt, a beloved music veteran who received a standing ovation for her surprise win in what she called her "third bloom"; Jay-Z and Kanye West (whose "N****s In Paris" created some hilariously awkward moments of political correctness), Colombian rocker Juanes, Taylor Swift, Beach Boy Brian Wilson, trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, New Orleans legend Dr. John, jazz pianist Chick Corea and guitarist Pat Metheny. But the afternoon also put a highlight on new talent such as the group Eighth Blackbird, which brought a jolt of rock energy to their contemporary chamber music performance, and adventurous jazz pianist Robert Glasper, a surprise winner for Best R&B Album.

Regardless, up and comer or veteran, as one of the winners said, the emotion of winning a GRAMMY "never gets old."

And the ceremony also brought recognition to some artists who have passed, such as Ravi Shankar (whose daughter Anoushka Shankar accepted an award for him), and arranger and composer Gil Evans (who had two nominations and won the Best Instrumental Arrangement category), and Clare Fischer (winner in the Best Latin Jazz Album).

Underscoring the diversity of the program, the Pre-Telecast featured performances by nominees such as New Age artist Krishna Das, Eighth Blackbird (which won the Best Chamber Music/Small ensemble performance), South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, and nominees John Fullbright (Best Americana Album), Tyrese (Best R&B Album) and Elle Varner (Best R&B Song).

The presenters included nominees Radmilla Cody, Kaskade, Britt Nicole, Manuel Valera and singer and songwriter Janis Ian, who when accepting the GRAMMY in the Best Spoken Word Album, had the best line of the night based on the nominees in her category: "The president's wife, an ex-president and three lesbians go into a bar … there's a joke there somewhere." As Ian observed, the GRAMMY Pre-Telecast was certainly a place for everyone.

The Pre-Telecast live stream will remain on GRAMMY.com on demand for 30 days following the event.

Exploring The American Roots Nominees

Go inside the nominations in the American Roots categories for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards

GRAMMYs

Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

GRAMMY.com

You've seen the list of nominees, now take a closer look at the artists nominated in the American Roots Field categories for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

This year's American Roots Field includes first-time nominees such as the Avett Brothers, John Fullbright, the Lumineers, Special Consensus, and Steep Canyon Rangers. Previous nominees looking for their first GRAMMY include Dailey & Vincent, Ruthie Foster, Mumford & Sons, Noam Pikelny, and Joan Osborne. Veteran artists looking to add to their GRAMMY totals include Ry Cooder, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, and Yo-Yo Ma.

Best Americana Album

The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter

The Avett Brothers are up for one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of their careers.

John Fullbright, From The Ground Up

Fullbright is up for one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of his career.

The Lumineers, The Lumineers

The Lumineers are up for two nominations this year, marking the first GRAMMY nominations of their careers.

Mumford & Sons, Babel

Mumford & Sons are up for six nominations this year. They have three prior GRAMMY nominations.

Bonnie Raitt, Slipstream

Raitt is up for one nomination this year. She has 25 prior GRAMMY nominations and nine prior GRAMMY wins.

Best Bluegrass Album

Dailey & Vincent, The Gospel Side Of

Dailey & Vincent are up for one nomination this year. They have one prior GRAMMY nomination.

The Grascals, Life Finds A Way

The Grascals are up for one nomination this year. They have two prior GRAMMY nominations.

Noam Pikelny, Beat The Devil And Carry A Rail

Pikelny is up for one nomination this year. He has two prior GRAMMY nominations, including one as part of Punch Brothers.

Special Consensus, Scratch Gravel Road

Special Consensus are up for one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of their careers.

Steep Canyon Rangers, Nobody Knows You

Steep Canyon Rangers are up for one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of their careers.

Best Blues Album

Shemekia Copeland, 33 1/3

Copeland is up for one nomination this year. She has one prior GRAMMY nomination.

Dr. John, Locked Down

Dr. John is up for one nomination this year. He has 14 prior GRAMMY nominations and five prior GRAMMY wins.

Ruthie Foster, Let It Burn

Foster is up for one nomination this year. She has one prior GRAMMY nomination.

Heritage Blues Orchestra, And Still I Rise

Heritage Blues Orchestra are up for one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of their careers.

Joan Osborne, Bring It On Home

Osborne is up for one nomination this year. She has six prior GRAMMY nominations.

Best Folk Album

Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leaving Eden

Caroline Chocolate Drops are up for one nomination this year. They have one prior GRAMMY win.

Ry Cooder, Election Special

Cooder is up for one nomination this year. He has 13 prior GRAMMY nominations and six prior GRAMMY wins.

Luther Dickinson, Hambone's Meditations

Dickinson is up for one nomination this year. He has four prior GRAMMY nominations, including three as part of North Mississippi Allstars.

Ma is up for one GRAMMY nomination this year. He has 24 prior GRAMMY nominations and 16 prior GRAMMY wins. Duncan is up for one nomination this year. He has 10 prior GRAMMY nominations and three prior GRAMMY wins. Meyer is up for one nomination this year. He has four prior GRAMMY nominations and two prior GRAMMY wins. Thile is up for one nomination this year. He has 13 prior GRAMMY nominations and one prior GRAMMY win as part of Nickel Creek.

Various Artists, This One's For Him: A Tribute To Guy Clark

Best Regional Roots Music Album

Keola Beamer, Malama Ko Aloha (Keep Your Love)

Beamer is up for one nomination this year. He has one prior GRAMMY nomination.

Radmilla Cody, Shi Kéyah — Songs For The People

Cody is up for one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of her career.

Weldon Kekauoha, Pilialoha

Kekauoha is up for one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of his career.

Corey Ledet With Anthony Dopsie And André Thierry, Nothin' But The Best

Ledet, Dopsie and Thierry are up for one nomination each this year, marking the first GRAMMY nominations of their respective careers.

Wayne Toups, Steve Riley & Wilson Savoy, The Band Courtbouillon

Toups, Riley and Savoy are up for one nomination each this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination for Toups. Riley has five prior GRAMMY nominations and Savoy has four prior nominations.

(Note: The videos embedded reflect official videos available through official artist and record label channels.)

The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, Fun., Jay-Z, Mumford & Sons, Frank Ocean, and Kanye West lead diverse field with six GRAMMY nominations each; the Black Keys, Chick Corea and Miguel earn five nominations each

GRAMMYs

Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

GRAMMY.com

Nominations for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards were announced tonight by The Recording Academy and reflected an eclectic mix of the best and brightest in music over the past year, as determined by the voting members of The Academy. For the fifth year, nominations for the annual GRAMMY Awards were announced on primetime television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night," a one-hour CBS entertainment special broadcast live for the first time ever from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, Fun., Jay-Z, Mumford & Sons, Frank Ocean, and Kanye West top the nominations with six each; the Black Keys, Chick Corea and Miguel each garner five nods; and producer Jeff Bhasker, mastering engineer Bob Ludwig and Nas are each up for four awards.

"The GRAMMY Awards process once again has produced a diverse and impressive list of nominations across multiple genres," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "This year's nominees truly represent an exceptional and vibrant creative community that exemplifies some of the highest levels of artistry and excellence in their respective fields. Combined with the fifth year of our primetime nominations special, we're off to an exciting start on the road to Music's Biggest Night, the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards, on February 10."

Following is a sampling of nominations in the GRAMMY Awards' other 29 Fields:

For Best Pop Solo Performance, the nominees are "Set Fire To The Rain (Live)" by Adele; "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson; "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen; "Wide Awake" by Katy Perry; and "Where Have You Been" by Rihanna.

The nominees for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance are "Shake It Out" by Florence & The Machine; "We Are Young" by Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe; "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra; "Sexy And I Know It" by LMFAO; and "Payphone" by Maroon 5 & Wiz Khalifa.

For Best Dance/Electronica Album, the nominees are Wonderland by Steve Aoki; Don't Think by the Chemical Brothers; > Album Title Goes Here by Deadmau5; Fire & Ice by Kaskade; and Bangarang by Skrillex.

The nominees for Best Rock Performance are "Hold On" by Alabama Shakes; "Lonely Boy" by the Black Keys; "Charlie Brown" by Coldplay; "I Will Wait" by Mumford & Sons; and "We Take Care Of Our Own" by Bruce Springsteen.

For Best Alternative Music Album, the nominees are The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do by Fiona Apple; Biophilia by Björk; Making Mirrors by Gotye; Hurry Up, We're Dreaming. by M83; and Bad As Me by Tom Waits.

The nominees for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration are "Wild Ones" by Flo Rida featuring Sia; "No Church In The Wild" by Jay-Z & Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean & The-Dream; "Tonight (Best You Ever Had)" by John Legend featuring Ludacris; "Cherry Wine" by Nas featuring Amy Winehouse; and "Talk That Talk" by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z.

For Best Country Album, the nominees are Uncaged by Zac Brown Band; Hunter Hayes by Hunter Hayes; Living For A Song: A Tribute To Hank Cochran by Jamey Johnson; Four The Record by Miranda Lambert; and The Time Jumpers by the Time Jumpers.

The nominees for Best Americana Album are The Carpenter by the Avett Brothers; From The Ground Up by John Fullbright; The Lumineers by the Lumineers; Babel by Mumford & Sons; and Slipstream by Bonnie Raitt.

This year's GRAMMY Awards process registered more than 17,000 submissions over a 12-month eligibility period (Oct. 1, 2011 – Sept. 30, 2012). GRAMMY ballots for the final round of voting will be mailed on Dec. 19 to the voting members of The Recording Academy. They are due back to the accounting firm of Deloitte by Jan. 16, 2013, when they will be tabulated and the results kept secret until the 55th GRAMMY telecast.

The 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on GRAMMY Sunday,Feb. 10, 2013, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer and Louis J. Horvitz is director.

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